Because You Are Here 君がいるから
by Iarrod
Summary: Even when I lost my hope, I kept on living because you are here with me.
1. The Explosion that Started Everything

**Because You Are Here**

**君がいるから**

**Chapter 1**

"Byakuran-nii!!!" a young girl called out to a teenage boy, who was dragging his feet as he walked, "Come on~!" The white haired teen of sixteen years old scratched his head and sighed as he looked ahead at the excited ten-year old. She jumped repeatedly as she waited for him and when he drew closer to her, she started to run again. Even at the age of ten, Byakuran felt sorry that she had to pretend to be a boy whenever they go out to the city. He talked to her parents about it but they said it would become a matter of life and death for her if something were to happen to their Family. They even had the people back in the mafia headquarter to fashion her hairstyle and changed her clothes to make her look like a boy but the guise would break the moment Hime smiled.

Even though Hime tried to evade them, they caught her the day before yesterday and cut her hair. Her platinum hair became shorter than his and he honestly did not feel happy looking at her sad face whenever they cut her hair. He knew she wanted to have long hair like her mother but there was nothing he could do about it, perhaps she may be able to live as a girl again when all mafia wars and conflicts stopped. Until then, he can only smile at Hime, hoping that she will smile back at him like she always does.

"Hime-sama!" Byakuran called out, "Don't run! I'll get in trouble if you fall!" The girl didn't seem to hear him and ran into her favourite cake house. He sighed and jogged towards the cake house. Even though he didn't seem to like his job as Hime's playmate, he loved the time he was allowed to spend with her. The things he had to learn as a young mafia became something he was eager to show her, as long as it wasn't anything violent. He even became a studious boy when Hime began to ask him things when she just began to learn how to speak. However, he recently slowed down on his studies and concentrated on his physical skills because he was no longer her playmate but a bodyguard in disguise.

"Byakuran-nii! Money~!" Byakuran heard her shouting from the cashier of the cake house. Byakuran walked towards his jumpy little princess and shook his head, thinking, "I wonder where she gets all that energy to jump around."

Byakuran paid for the cake before taking the cake in one hand and held Hime's hand with the other. He tugged onto the hand, wordlessly telling her to not run far from him again. She understood and gripped his hand in return. Hime smiled as she pulled him down the road towards their Home. Light conversation filled their time as they strolled through the peaceful town in a suburban area of the Italian town.

"I wonder if Papa and Mama would be surprised," Hime looked up at him with her bright blue eyes. Byakuran never knew how she knew that today was her parents' wedding anniversary but however she knew it and whatever she wants to do, he would be glad to oblige, even though he may go through loads of lecturing from her parents afterwards.

"I'm sure they will be," Byakuran said as he pulled Hime's cap lower to hide her face with his fingers. Hime giggled as they continued their slow walk.

Byakuran's violet eyes shot upwards towards the sky when he heard the sound of helicopters. He tightened his hold on Hime's hand and watched as three black helicopters made its way towards their Home. Instinctively, he stopped and turned around, pulling Hime with him and discarded the cake into the nearest dumpster. As they ran away from their Home, an explosion erupted behind them. Byakuran shielded Hime from the view but her eyes had already captured the scene into her mind. She froze to her feet, unwilling to run no matter what Byakuran said to her. He had no choice but to forcibly carry her away from the scene.

Byakuran was careful to keep her cap on while he carried with an arm around her waist along dark alleys towards the residential area where the Family had another secret safe house. He dashed up two flights of stairs and used his master swipe card on the door of the last apartment. Once safely inside the humbly-furnished apartment, Byakuran gently set Hime onto the sofa. Only when Byakuran pat her on her head did she begin to cry. He hushed her with a brotherly hug.

"Hime-sama," Byakuran said gently to her, "Don't cry. I'm sure everyone is alright." He knew he was lying. There was no way anyone in the Family knew about the sudden attack on the remaining force of the Primula Family. The Family was not as strong as it used to be a hundred years ago and the other mafia families who were discontent with the way Primula conducted themselves were trying to erase the Family from history. The only records of Primula was kept in their Home but now that it is engulfed in flame, nothing would remain except the information within the minds of the survivors but the human mind is feeble and easily corrupted.

Byakuran only knew that if anything were to happen, his job was to protect Hime and wait for help. He was waiting for the help to come and half an hour after the attack, the only phone in the apartment rang. It's loud rings jolted Byakuran from Hime. He was wary of the phone call but answered anyway.

"Hello?" he said to the receiver.

"Byakuran! Is that you? Is Hime alright!?" the voice of a woman's pierced Byakuran's ears which he recognized it as Hime's aunt. Aunt Serin was a family member whom the Primula Family had cut its relation with, for the safety of her own family, as Primula was always being hunted. Serin, however, still kept a secret but close relation with her sister and niece. Byakuran was relieved to know she was the help his Boss had mentioned and handed the phone to Hime, who also stiffened up when her aunt began to throw worried statements at her.

"Byakuran," Serin said to him when the phone was passed back to him, "All that is left of the Primula Family are you and Hime. The rest were murdered in that explosion. I've told Hime about it but I don't know how she is taking it." Byakuran looked at Hime, who had a faraway look, as if she was still trying to digest the information Serin had told her. "Anyway," Serin continued, "That apartment should be safe but keep a low profile for a while. The food in the refrigerator should last for a week but I'll have people buy lunch and dinner for you until the issue settles down a bit. After that, we'll think of the next step."

Byakuran was as speechless as Hime when he hung up the phone. He walked over to Hime and looked at her in the eyes. It didn't take long for him to penetrate the thin wall she tried to build. Tears formed in her eyes and she threw herself at him as she cried out for her father and mother. Byakuran only hugged the child as tightly as he could. He was devastated about the loss but at the same time, he knew that he was the only one who can protect Hime now. He knew there was no help that will miraculously come to them if they were in a pinch.


	2. Coldness & Warmth

**Because You Are Here**

**君がいるから**

**Chapter 2**

It took the responsible mafia about half a month to be completely convinced that every Primula Family members were killed. During the two weeks, Byakuran stayed close to Hime and watched her succumb to her loss. She spoke less and never shed another tear after that day. Her usually bright neon eyes were dimmed and always looked as if she was looking through everything. Even Byakuran, who always looked on the positive side of everything, was worried when his lofty smile did not get through to her. She did not show a sign of protest when Serin and her family arranged to move out of town to a village near the border of Italy to look after her and Byakuran.

It was in that mansion that Byakuran felt himself drifting further away from Hime as she shut herself. Not even her aunt or cousins could break down the wall she had built around her heart. He knew she had become a part of his existence and he longed to comfort his little princess but he was hesitant. He did not want to be the one who will destroy her defenses and make her cry. He only wanted her to stay strong and he believed that it was for the best. And so, he kept his distance and watched over her.

As the years passed, Hime spoke lesser to Byakuran, limiting their conversation to usual greetings and academic topics. Their sibling-like relationship became awkward but Byakuran thought he should respect her wish to be left alone, despite his reluctance to do so. He didn't know what else to do but to train himself. He told himself that he had to get stronger before the mafia realizes that Hime was still alive. He must be so strong that any mafia would know of his strength and fear him. Only then can he live up to his name as the bodyguard of the heir to the first mafia family in the world, the Primula.

Hime was indifferent about her surroundings for years. She never realized that she spoke less or that she had hurt Byakuran and her aunt's feelings by being absorbed in her own selfish emotions. She only realized her mistake when she saw Byakuran walking out of the mansion on one winter night. Hime caught a glimpse of his malicious violet eyes and a smile that he had never shown her before. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she realized that Byakuran had taken a liking to taking lives while she wallowed in grief. As she tried to deny it in her heart, Byakuran walked further down the road towards the garage where he usually parked his motorbike. Hime flew out of her room barefooted and dashed out towards the garage.

Byakuran did not hear any footsteps coming towards him as he imagined the faces of his would-be victims twisted in agony and shock, like they always have. He grinned as he counted the numbers of people he will be killing tonight, and thought that it would be another wonderful night full of blood again. Byakuran's imagination was interrupted when Hime ran into him and wrapped her arms around him. His wicked smile faded as he looked at the shivering hands clasped tightly on his chest. As she cried softly on his back, he touched her hands with his warm ones, in an attempt to comfort her but he froze when the hands he held were as cold as winter itself.

"Don't go," she said to him but Byakuran heard nothing as he was too concerned about her body temperature than her words.

"Hime-sama!" Byakuran exclaimed as he spun around, "W-Why are you so cold!?" Hime did not respond even as Byakuran touched her face and neck for warmth. He panicked when he couldn't feel an ounce of warmth from Hime. Cold tears flowed as she looked up at him. When Byakuran saw the hurt in her neon eyes, he stood frozen to his feet, his mission instantly forgotten. There was no life in them anymore.

"I'm sorry," she said as she leant onto Byakuran's chest again and woke him from his trance, "I didn't mean to hurt you."

"Now isn't the time for that!" Byakuran said as he stepped away from Hime to remove his navy blue winter coat. Hime watched as he quickly threw it around her white spaghetti-stripped nightdress and hastily buttoned it up, his violet eyes was overcome with worry. As soon as he secured the coat around her, he scooped Hime up into his arms and charged back into the mansion.

Byakuran brought her to the reading room where the hearth was still crackling with a slow fire. He set her on the carpet near the hearth and threw blankets around Hime. She tried to stop him with words but he was not listening at all. When Hime reached out to Byakuran, who was tending to the fire, he finally responded to her. He took her hands into his own, she was still cold. She was not even a degree warmer. Byakuran started to blow warmth into her hands and rubbed them together but nothing worked.

"Why," he began as he clasped her hands tightly in his and sat in front of her, "Why aren't you getting any warmer?"

"It's alright," Hime told him but he was not convinced, "I don't feel the cold at all, ever since the first winter of that year." She held his hands and took a breath. "Byakuran-nii, I was scared. When I began to grow cold, I realized that everything I touched turns into ice but I didn't have the intention to do so. I was so scared that I would turn my family into ice when I touch them and I don't want that to happen. I thought if I stayed away from everyone, it would be okay but," she turned to Byakuran as tears started to fall, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt anyone."

Byakuran said nothing to her explanation but pulled her into a hug. He didn't know how to comprehend what she just said. Every word she said contradicted with what he had in mind. He thought she was protecting herself when she was actually protecting everyone from her and during those lonely days, he was right by her side yet he couldn't see it. He thought he knew her but now he realized that their minds started to work differently after the separation and he no longer know how she thinks.

"I'm sorry too," he said to her, "I'm sorry I didn't pay attention to you." Hime shook her head as if to say that it was not his fault but Byakuran still felt guilty over it. As he tightened his embrace, he realized that she was as thin and pale as he remembered although he had to admit that she had grown into a decent girl of fifteen years old under her aunt's care. She still kept her hair short but fashioned it accordingly for a girl. Her long and slender hands reached up and clutched onto his arms tightly.

"I will protect you," he said softly to her, "Whatever it takes, I will protect you." Hime did not respond to his strong feelings with words but she merely nodded as she had become afraid of him. While Hime hid herself and wallowed in emptiness and sorrow, Byakuran had grown a cold and merciless heart. What was left of the Byakuran she once knew and loved was the little bit of love he had for her.

Byakuran couldn't tell her his truth even though he knew that she faintly felt his hate for the world in her heart. He couldn't forgive the world for taking everything from the Primula Family. When the world knew of Primula Family's absolute power to secure the foundation of the world, the mafias allied amongst themselves and turned against Primula. Not only did they force Hime's ancestor to give up all of his powers to create the Trinisette, they even exiled every member of the Primula Family from the underground world of the mafia. For centuries, Primula Family kept to its word and stayed hidden in the dark but when the world returned again to completely erase Primula's existence from history, Byakuran was agitated.

Byakuran knew that the Trinisette was the life force of every Primula heir. With it drained, they will have nothing left in their body but the cold and emptiness, like an empty shell with a soul barely clinging to life. He thought it was just a metaphor that reflected the ancestor's feelings but when he felt Hime's empty stare and her body temperature, he knew it wasn't just a saying. It was real. He never thought he would live to see a near lifeless Hime when she used to be so warm and cheerful during her childhood. Byakuran almost wished that her powers never awakened and that none of what had befallen them happened.

"Hime-sama," Byakuran said as he looked up to her bedroom from the garage, "I will avenge Primula and when I stop all wars in this world, you will be free again. I promise you." He grinned as green flame flared from the ring on his left hand. There were so much he was hiding from Hime but he most definitely did not want her to know that he had been wrecking terror in every mafia family before forcing them to submit to his powers. "That day will come. I'll make sure of it," he said to himself as he rode off into the winter night on his motorcycle at full speed.

Hime watched his back as the taillight grew smaller and dimmed into the night from her window. She knew he was planning for Primula's revenge but she couldn't stop him. Somewhere in her heart, she wanted revenge but she dare not wish for it now that she had lost all emotions but sorrow in her heart. She came to understand the despair of only feeling sorrow, and she wouldn't want anyone to taste its bitterness. Because it was the only emotion that she could only feel, she clung onto it as the only hope that will keep her humane and alive but even then, she could only feel more sorrow the longer she lived.


	3. The Beginning of a War

Hello~!! I'm sorry for the late update!! New semester at college has begun and I have been busy with my studies. Exam is next month, so...updates will be late! I'm so sorry!!!!

**Because You Are Here**

**君がいるから**

**Chapter 3**

Footsteps were heard as Hime tried to drown herself in her book. She looked up at the window and saw a line of men dressed in black tuxedos running into the mansion. It wasn't long until she heard screams, gunshots and thuds echoing throughout the house and then, there was a deadly silence. Hime looked wide-eyed at her door, fearing the worst.

The doorknob to her room turned and the door creaked ajar. A tall man in a black tuxedo and dark hair stepped into the room, in his hand was a handgun which he pointed at her. He grinned gleefully as he lowered his gun and reached out for Hime, who had her back to the wall. The man grabbed her by her short locks and slammed her head onto the brick wall, making a dent in it. Hime winced softly as blood trickled down the side of her head. The man took hold of her face and turned it to him but his hand froze at the winter chill he felt on her skin.

"You're as cold as they say," he said to her as Hime slid to the floor, holding her head. Her view immediately blurred and her consciousness fought to stay awake. His hand reached out for her hair again and he dragged her out of the room towards the foyer. When he stopped, Hime could barely make out the shapes of the stairs from where she sat captive and a figure dressed in black at the door. Her captor continued venomously, "I'm sure he won't be happy seeing you hurt."

"Hime-sama!" Byakuran exclaimed in horror as he looked up at her from the entrance. Her short white dress was stained by the blood from her injury and she winced in pain as the man roughly handled Hime to leave her sitting at the top of the stairs with her bare legs dangling on the steps. Byakuran glared at the man beside her, who smirked at him.

"Oh right, right," he laughed and tightened his hold on Hime's hair, "I forgot to tell you. While your bodyguard was out planning to kill us, we've already killed everyone except you, of course." He knelt to Hime's right and looked at her semi-conscious face, "You must be loved. Everyone was trying to stop us from getting to your room so we shot them. We killed them."

Byakuran knew Hime could hear him even though her head was about to shut her from reality. He did not care how twisted his face may look at the moment as he glared at Dominic, the boss of the mafia gang he had been hunting. Dominic instinctively took a step back in defense at the intensity of hate and anger flaring behind Byakuran's violet eyes. Byakuran took half a step forward and lowered his body, his left hand glowed in a green light.

Hime could not make out the shadows that she saw in the blinding light but she was sure of one thing: her captor released her. Her consciousness was slowly slipping away as she fell lifelessly backward from the lack of support. Hime thought she felt Byakuran holding her up to his chest but she could not confirm it with her blurry and darkening sight. Angry voices swirled around her and static vibrations of electricity echoed in her ears. Hime's weak clutch on Byakuran's sleeve loosened and fell to the floor as the battle continued.

Byakuran glare at Dominic, who was still unnerved by the previous attack which took out ten of his men in a flash. He rallied his men around him and aimed their guns at Byakuran. To that stance, Byakuran raised his fully charged left hand and grinned, "Bye bye."

At the sound of the malicious voice, Hime's will won over her consciousness and her eyes looked up at Byakuran. He held on a mischievous grin and his eyes were smiling as he released his electrifying blast. As the blinding flash of light surged through the bodies of his enemies, Byakuran felt a tight clutch on his sleeve. He looked at his princess, and his eyes widened at the tears in her neon eyes.

"_She's afraid of me?" _Byakuran thought as he understood the reason for her tears.

"Byakuran…" she called, "Don't..." _"I don't want you to change. I'm sorry. This is my fault."_

"Hime-sama," Byakuran called her as Hime began to succumb to her consciousness, "I don't mind if you fear me, or even hate me. My only wish is to protect you and my Gesso Family will protect you as long as you live. I promise you this."

"Bya…" Hime's voice was barely audible but she couldn't finish what she intend to say as her mind swirled into darkness. _"Byakuran, even if I'm afraid of you, I'll never hate you…because you're always there for me…always…without fail…and…"_

"Hime-sama?" Byakuran called as Hime slumped in his arm. His sorrowful violet eyes were hidden from the world as he whispered, "I'm sorry I'm late."

"Byakuran-sama!" a man appeared at the door. He was dressed in a white pants and a white zipped-up jacket with the crest of the Gesso family on his shoulders. The man with green hair analysed the mansion in horror. Blood was splattered on the walls and windows, and lifeless bodies were littered all over the place. Even his boss had blood on him and as Byakuran stood up with an almost lifeless girl in his arms, he grew fearful of his boss. He had never seen Byakuran with a smile that seemed so cheerful, yet so sinister.

"Kikyou-kun!" Byakuran exclaimed cheerfully, "I'm glad you came. Can I leave the clean-up to you?"

"Yes, Byakuran-sama," Kikyou obliged. As Byakuran walked past him, Kikyou's green eyes caught a glimpse of Hime's injury. "I'll get a doctor to the base!" he said to him with a bow as Byakuran walked past him. Byakuran stopped at the door and turned to meet Kikyou in the eyes.

"I'm so glad I can count on Kikyou-kun for my needs," Byakuran grinned but his expression suddenly turned deadly. He hissed, "Tell anyone about her and I'll kill you."

"Not a word, Byakuran-sama," Kikyou replied instantly. At that respond, Byakuran smiled again.

Byakuran did not know how many doctors he had killed in front of the sleeping Hime but it was not enough. Hime's wounds had recovered but the doctors couldn't figure out why she wasn't waking up. He became frantic even as his powers in the world grew. He owned every possible medicinal technology in the world and beyond but nothing worked for Hime. It hurts his pride when the only thing he could do was to wait for Hime. He couldn't touch her cold hands to assure both her and himself that she was still alive. All he could do was to watch as she slept in a sphere where she stayed suspended in the air, growing a little at time, just like a normal teenage girl.

Kikyou realized that Hime meant a lot more to Byakuran than anyone in the world could imagine. Even though he rarely spoke to the boss himself, he knew Byakuran was devastated when he related the matter to him. Kikyou was speechless when Byakuran showed a face he would never show anyone else. Self-doubt and wavering confidence were all written on the pale face when Byakuran looked at Hime. Kikyou could not stand it when his boss looked so weak and before he could control himself, he gave his boss the push he needed to cure Hime.

"Let's find what is missing in Hime-sama!" Kikyou said, "If we found it, she'll surely…"

"What is missing…was stolen," Byakuran replied him but realization dawned on him, "They were once the foundations of the world. The Vongolas and the other mafias took that privilege from her. " Byakuran looked at him with an evil grin, "You're right. We'll just have to take it back."

"As you command, Byakuran-sama," Kikyou knelt on one knee and held his right hand over his heart.

"Kikyou-kun," Byakuran called him, "I'll be enlisting help from a dear friend of mine. While I work with Shou-chan, I need you to seek out the other guardians and stay hidden. I will not contact you unless it is absolutely necessarily. You will be the leader of the Real Six Funeral Wreaths when I get my hands on Giglio Nero's Mare Rings."

"Yes, Byakuran-sama," the green haired man obeyed and left the Italian base, erasing all traces of him from the Gesso family.

A few weeks into the planning of the ultimate plan to retrieve the world's foundation, Byakuran was overcome by a head-splitting headache. As he dropped to his knees and held his head, he heard his own voice echoing inside his head and realized the great power that had been asleep inside him.

"_I will protect her even at the cost of the world," _he repeated the words of the Byakuran in another parallel world uttered. "Even if I don't think it, that is exactly what I will do," he smirked as he looked at the documents on his table, "This war, let it begin."


	4. Greatest Strength & Greatest Weakness

**Because You Are Here**

**君がいるから**

**Chapter 4**

The spread of the virus and Byakuran's encounter with Genkishi of Giglio Nero was but the first step of his world conquest. The dark haired pawn proved to be very useful when he made the forming of Millefiore possible with mere illusions. Despite being fully aware of Yuni's gift of foresight, Byakuran took the risk with careful calculation. He cunningly manipulated the Giglio Nero's little leader and confiscated the Mare Rings that the family had inherited. After all, with Giglio Nero under Byakuran's watch, there was absolutely nothing Yuni could do that will put her family in danger against the Real Six Funeral Wreaths, who now possessed the six Mare Rings. Politically, Byakuran gave Yuni his collection of the Arcobaleno Pacifiers to hold onto. It was just a show of respect for Yuni who had the support of the whole Black Spell. By earning their trust and having them to fight for him, the world already belonged to Byakuran but it was not enough to revive Hime.

The Vongola Rings were destroyed but he had his most trusted friend and subordinate to help him achieve the Trinisette Policy. As he had planned, the lost rings were brought to their world from the past. He watched as Shouichi kept failing his task of retrieving the Vongola Rings in excitement, even though he knew his friend was his enemy from the very beginning. However, Byakuran did not expect the teenage Vongola members to be strong but everything was still within his calculations. He was confident that he could win this war fairly easily.

But everything did not turn out as he had planned. The Vongola Family was much stronger than he had anticipated and he revealed his Real Six Funeral Wreaths sooner than he had expected in the game of Choice. Moreover, Yuni betrayed him and took all the Pacifiers with her when she ran away with the teenage Boss of the Vongola. Worst of all, Vongola's Varia Team had independently invaded his headquarter in Italy while he was in Japan, fighting the final battle to gain control of the foundation of the world.

The suddenly chillness in the battlefield alerted both the Vongola fighters and Millefiore warriors that something was about to appear and when a large round machine loomed above them, all battles halted. The Vongola Family led by Tsuna was overjoyed at Varia's unexpected appearance in Japan but Byakuran was dealt a mental deathblow. He was unable to move for a few seconds when he recognized the familiar device he kept secret from everyone.

"What is that thing? Their new weapon?" Bluebell asked, out of curiousity and grinned, "I'll destroy it!"

Before she could raise her hand, Byakuran held her wrist in a death grip. The blue haired Rain Guardian winced at the pain but dared not struggled against her boss especially when the look he gave her could almost kill her consciousness. Kikyou interfered and place a gentle hand on Byakuran's arm. He whispered a few words into Byakuran's ears and the death grip softened. Bluebell took the chance and ran to hide behind the red haired Zakuro, avoiding the look Byakuran gave her. Kikyou also gave Bluebell and Zakuro disapproving look but he turned his attention back to the battle. Only Kikyou knew how far the tables have turned against their favour when the Varia Team brought that device with them. The girl who lay asleep inside was Byakuran's greatest weakness and the boss himself knew it all too well.

"Byakuran-sama, what should we do now?" Kikyou asked him.

"Hime's safety takes the topmost priority, annihilate the rest," Byakuran answered.

Xanxus was enjoying the little treat he got for his efforts. The look of shock, fear and hatred in the usually carefree Byakuran was more than enough to convince him that he hit the jackpot. The rest of the Varia grinned when their leader set the device on fire at the flick of his fingers. Knowing the glass was made only to withstand the cold, Byakuran attacked Xanxus without a second thought. Kikyou quickly trailed behind his boss and supported every attack Byakuran threw at Varia while Zakuro and Bluebell were re-engaged in their battle with the other Vongola fighters.

As the fire raged around the device, Byakuran was locked in battle with Xanxus but when he heard the first crack on the glass, he let his attention be drawn towards Hime. Xanxus merely scoffed and fired a flame gunshot from his gun. Byakuran was thrown back by the shot but he still landed on his feet, holding his wounded shoulder. His blood stained the white shirt beneath his black trenchcoat but his mind was not on the wound or the limits of his powers. He had sworn to protect Hime and he vowed that he would even risk his life to keep his oath.

"For a man to have such a common weakness, you're not as great as you seem, Byakuran," Xanxus said as his flame raged behind him and evaporated the layer of ice that kept the content of the sphere hidden from everyone.

"A girl?" Reborn said as he got a full view of the young woman inside the cracking sphere. The inside seemed to be a zero-gravity area as her white summer dress and long platinum hair swirled accordingly to the heat pressure. Reborn's dark eyes turned to Xanxus' and Byakuran's fight. There was no hesitance or playfulness in Byakuran's attacks. There was hatred for Xanxus but what overcame Byakuran's attacks was his will to protect the young woman inside the sphere. "This is bad," Reborn said as the cracks on the sphere began to vibrate. He retreated with Yuni behind a tree just in time before the sphere exploded, shooting and embedding the glass splinters into trees and those who were careless.

Tsuna and Hayato were concentrating on their battles when the explosion happened. Hayato immediately fired a bomb shot at the splinters to divert their direction but he did not realize that he had indirectly aimed for the hostage until after he pulled the trigger. Byakuran avoided the splinters with a few cuts but he was too late when he realized that the Vongola Storm Guardian had aimed for Hime. Everyone was shocked when the red bomb became enveloped in ice when it got near to Hime and then shattered into nothingness.

"The power to nullify powers," Reborn commented, "I thought that was just a legend left behind by the Primula Family. Didn't they annihilated every last member of the Primula Family five years ago?" Byakuran stood up and looked at Reborn.

"So they did not erase Primula from the memories of those who knew," Byakuran wondered aloud. His eyes looked at Hime, whose body was floating three feet above the ground. If it weren't for the barrier that rejected everything around Hime, including gravity, Byakuran would have been able to touch her and perhaps wake her from her sleep years ago.

"You were a Primula, weren't you?" the little Arcobaleno asked. Byakuran turned back to the baby. "The Gesso Family is just a façade for Primula, isn't it?" he continued, "Is the Trinisette Policy a revenge for Primula?"

"Gesso is my family, Arcobaleno," Byakuran began, "Primula Hime has nothing to do with it."

"I've seen it, Byakuran," Yuni said as she stood beside Reborn, "In a future where she is well and awake, you are not who you are now. I'm sure Hime wouldn't want you to take revenge on the world. If you care for her feelings, stop this war."

"Yuni-chan," Byakuran said with a sly grin, "That future is gone. And I do not fight for revenge anymore. I only want to complete the Trinisette and return the rightful powers to Hime. Only then will she wake up from her endless sleep." He took his stance again and continued, "Therefore, hand over the Vongola Rings and the war will end."

"Don't underestimate us!!!" Tsuna declared as his comrades charged in for the second round of their final battle. The glowing orange flame led the team of multicoloured flames towards Byakuran but he was unfazed.

"Don't underestimate me either," Byakuran stood tall as a streak of forceful lightning rushed past him towards Tsuna. He stopped and changed his speeding course but the lightning followed him. He thought he was done for but the strike averted its target at the last second and burnt the tree beside Tsuna to crisps. "I have yet to reveal my trump card, GHOST," Byakuran grinned. Tsuna gritted his teeth at the powerful display of superiority.

"Don't think about it, Tsuna," Reborn told Tsuna, who was beginning to consider giving up the girl to Byakuran. "If you give into his show of power, we'll never defeat him," the Arcobaleno continued, "We must fight him with her on our side." Tsuna was clearly against taking Hime as a hostage but he understood Reborn's dilemma well enough to agree with him. He left the Varia Team to guard her as he fought against Byakuran's warriors.

"What is this?" Yuni gasped as she held her head in pain. Flashes of the future in utter ruins rewound itself to their moment of splendor and towards the final battle they were fighting. "It's changed?" she noticed as none of what she saw happened when the future played itself in her mind again. She felt a bone-stinging chillness and the stare of a pair of empty but dazzlingly beautiful neon eyes. Yuni looked over at the girl by Xanxus' side and clasped her hands on her chest, praying for a new future for the world.

After years of silence and endless lonely wanderings in other worlds, Hime heard voices amongst the sounds of destruction in her deep sleep. Some were sniggering and taunting while others were in pain and desperation. She struggled in her dark consciousness for dominance over her body but it was a herculean mission for her when she only had sorrow coursing through her.

"Oh dear," she heard a voice close to her said, "I guess that is the end. Byakuran is doomed for at that position."

"TAKE HIM DOWN!!!" a loud voice shouted by her ear. Hime cringed at the voice as she tried to control her body.

"_Byakuran,"_ Hime tried to open her eyes. Her vision was blurry but she could make out a figure in black trenchcoat on the ground, facing another person, who was hovering in the air, in his hands were glowing orange flame. She noticed the distinctive platinum hair on the man in the black trenchcoat and her arms reached out for him, for Byakuran.


	5. Byakuran

Next chapter is here on request!!! XD Thank you for all the reviews!!!! I'm pretty sure my anonymous reviewers is going to kill me when he/she reaches the end of the chapter *runs and hides*

**Because You Are Here**

**君がいるから**

**Chapter 5**

Byakuran's Real Funeral Wreaths lay defeated on the ground as he panted for breath and tried to gather his strength against his enemies. The Vongola gang had exceeded his expectations in battle strength and coordination. He knew there was no way he could avoid Tsuna's direct attack and survive but he was not going to give up when he was so close to achieving his goal. As he tried to think of a plan, Byakuran felt a gush of cold air and watched as a transparent ice carapace formed around him before he could begin to react. His heart went cold when he realized that Hime stood in the air in front of him, facing Vongola X.

"Move aside," Tsuna commanded but there was no reaction from her. Hime stood afloat in the air, looking at Tsuna with emotionless eyes. As Tsuna looked into her neon blue eyes, he was drawn into her colourless soul.

"Tsuna! What are you doing!?" Reborn shouted at Tsuna, who diminished the Hyper Explosion he had been charging at Byakuran. The rest of the Vongola warriors also looked up at him for answers, even though they were too weak to even move a muscle. They knew Tsuna understood that the battle will decide their future but they trusted Tsuna and believed in his judgement. Reborn knew him inside out and when Tsuna turned to him, looking unusually troubled, he knew something was not right with Hime.

"She's not here," Tsuna answered him, "Primula Hime's consciousness is not here." He turned back to Hime, whose eyes were semi-closed and her hair swirling weightlessly around her, like a barrier. After a long moment of silence, he noticed tiny movements in her fingers and he readied himself for an attack. But none came.

"_Please,"_ he heard a girl's voice echoing around him. He instinctively turned around, even though he had a hunch that the voice was inside his head. _"Don't,"_ he heard her again and when he turned back to Hime again, he realized that there were tiny crystals floating beside her eyes.

"Why–?" Tsuna was cut short when a blast of orange flame was shot dangerously close to his face towards the sky. He immediately backed away and faced Byakuran again, who was panting after almost exhausting his powers when he broke out of Hime's ice carapace. Tsuna glared at Byakuran but at the same time, he noticed a change in him. Byakuran was no longer desperate to destroy Vongola but put his foremost priority on Hime's safety. His violet eyes glared at Tsuna and threatened him if he should make a move that would put her life in harm's way.

"Primula Hime…" Reborn recalled the name Byakuran said during their short conversation. "The power to nullify powers…" he mumbled in deep thought and recalled the transcript he read a long time ago about the Primula Family, "What is going on?"

Reborn turned to Mukuro, who got up to his knees and laughed as he looked at the mysterious girl before them. The Arcobaleno stared at the older version of Mukuro as if he was about to do something outrageous.

"Are you trying to take her into your world?" Reborn asked him.

"No," he replied, "I'm going into her world." Mukuro smirked despite the blood seeping from the corner of his mouth and the huge gash on his chest. "Take the chance as soon as I undo her barrier, Arcobaleno," he said as the numbers in his ruby eye vanished. He closed his eyes as he tried to connect to Hime's consciousness. And when he opened his eyes again, he was astounded by the blinding whiteness of her world. He had expected a menacing girl to stand before him but all he could see was a girl, dressed in the same white dress, curled into a ball. Her long platinum hair swirled around her, like a harmless barrier.

"This is interesting," Mukuro said to himself, smirking as he made his way to her. Being an illusionist himself, he did not feel a single speck of insecurity as he walked in the air and stopped a foot from her. He put a hand into her hair and pushed them away, revealing the princess who was interrupting their fight in the real world. Her hands held her knees close to her chest and she rested her head on her knees, looking sideways. Mukuro walked to the side to look at her in the face and saw a pair of neon blue eyes, feeling a sense of insecurity in them and also of hopelessness.

"_Who's there?"_ he heard a soft and tired voice echoing around him. Hime could make out the silhouette of a person in front of her but she could not see clearly, not through her hazy and lifeless eyes. _"Please, wake me up,"_ she pleaded to Mukuro, not knowing that he was her enemy, _"I don't want to sleep anymore."_

"What will you do when you awake?" Mukuro asked, out of curiousity.

"_I have to protect Byakuran,"_ she answered, _"He's my only family."_ Mukuro's eyes widened. He hid a scoff and thought that she must be crazy for regarding the cold-blooded and cunning man as her family.

"How long have you been asleep?" he asked.

"_I don't know. Perhaps for a very long time,"_ she answered, _"The last date I remember was 24__th__ December 2004."_

"That's five years ago," Mukuro told her, "Don't you know anything that is going on outside your barrier?"

"_I'm sorry,"_ Hime apologized, _"Every time I tried to wake myself, I'll fall right back to sleep. Please, wake me up."_

"How do I do that?" he asked.

"_I…don't know,"_ she answered, _"I'm sorry."_ Mukuro sighed. As he looked at the face that could easily pass for the face of a doll came to life, he realized that despite the hopelessness she reserved for herself, there was still a glint of hope in her soul. It was a risky gamble for him but he took the risk anyway.

Mukuro's hand reached for her face and gently covered her eyes. He felt the unusually heartwarming warmth coming from her as he created an illusion to free her from her sleep. He guessed that everything that had happened to their world was mainly her fault, he couldn't help but feel a little protective of her even though he was her enemy. He smirked and wondered if that feeling was being multiplied by a few hundred times in Byakuran's soul. He thought that would make sense. If the world threatens her, then let the world be destroyed.

Hime did not resist and couldn't resist even if she wanted to when Mukuro placed his hand on her eyes. She could vaguely see the outline of a hand as she slowly closed her eyes, trying not to lose her consciousness as she did so. What brief moments she saw with her body were enough to keep her half awake but she wanted more. Hime wanted to feel Byakuran again and to feel safe whenever he was around. Her time alone in the warped white world was torturously silent and when she ventured into dreams, she was always alone, walking along a path that has no end and no encounters with anyone at all. She broke down several times in her dreams but there was always a warm tap of a hand on her shoulder, giving her enough courage until the next time she broke down.

"I'll show you to the person you want to meet most," Hime heard Mukuro's deep voice and she opened her eyes again as he lifted his hand from her eyes. Hime's eyes widened at the person who stood in front of her, giving her the same warm smile he always gave her. Byakuran stood there, patiently waiting for her to respond to his existence. Hime looked up at him with a smile, finally she was able to clearly see him again, and not just a silhouette through hazy eyes or in her dreams.

When Hime looked up at him, Mukuro saw life being revived in those neon eyes. As he extended his hand to her with a warm smile, Hime had uncurled herself and reached out for his extended hand. Hime pulled herself towards Byakuran and circled her arms as tightly as she could around his neck. Mukuro winced as she unintentionally touched the wound on his chest but he couldn't contain his laugh any longer. His guess was a lucky guess after all.

"Kufufufu~" he laughed and circled his arms around Hime's tiny waist. Hime's illusion broke and she gasped at the blood seeping into her white dress from Mukuro, whom she saw as Byakuran just seconds ago. "You're quite the naïve young woman for falling for such trick," he laughed and shifted his glance to his right. Hime's eyes followed his gaze, setting her sight on a man in a torn black trench coat. He stood in the air between her and a brown haired teenage boy.

"BYAKURAN!" she called out. Hime reached out for him and she gasped in desperation as she looked between her fingers. A pair of violet eyes turned to meet Hime's neon blue eyes.

Byakuran's eyes widen in realization at the liveliness and hope that shone in the eyes that he longed to look into. He instinctively reached out for her hand, forgetting his battle with Vongola X. Tsuna watched as Byakuran propelled himself towards her, completely blind to Mukuro's existence beside Hime. As the teenage mafia boss turned his gaze up at Hime, he noticed the changes in her and he felt a terrible premonition of destruction when she faintly smiled at Byakuran.

"MUKURO! STOP!" Tsuna shouted but he was too late.

As their fingers touched, a trident thrust forward in an almost silent swish. Hime froze as she took in the view of a black trident with three silver prongs, embedded into Byakuran's abdomen. She watched as blood seeped into Byakuran's white shirt in horror. For Byakuran, despite the impact and the pain, he did not release the hand he finally held in his.

"Hime-sama," he gently called her, like he always used to, but he hid his face.

"Byakuran…" he heard her voice again and he looked up at her. Byakuran let his fear of rejection show on his face but as he saw the worry she had for him in her eyes, his expression softened. He reached for her face and weakly brushed away the tear that rolled down her cheek. He always thought that Hime feared him but when he finally realized that she cared about him as much as he cared for her, it was already too late.

"_My precious little princess," _he smiled faintly at her as the hand on her face shifted to Mukuro's, _"I will always protect you."_

Mukuro tried to extract his trident from Byakuran when he sensed malcontent coming from him. He was sure he hit an organ and was certain that the wound was fatal enough to render anyone immobile but Byakuran was stubborn. When Byakuran looked up at Mukuro again, the evil aura he felt was much heavier than when he last fought him in his office. Mukuro knew he would be dead if he didn't avoid whatever attack Byakuran was about to deliver to him.

"Bye-bye, Leo-kun," Byakuran said cunningly as he held up a hand towards Mukuro's face. His violet eyes turned to the side as he released Hime's hand to hold it up to another person, "…and Vongola X."

"Tsuna!" Reborn shouted.


	6. AntiTrinisette

Hello everyone!! Thank you for the reviews~!!!!

Here comes the continuation of the cliffhanger that I cruelly left you guys with two weeks ago!!! XD Enjoy and stay tune for Chapter 7, which will end this fic!!!

**Because You Are Here**

**君がいるから**

**Chapter 6**

He had always fought for control over the world and in all his eagerness, he became blinded by his hunger for power that he had overlooked his own heart. The reason he began his tyranny, the reason he became powerful and the reason he lost sight of his own heart, it was all because he cared for her. He knew it at the start but never admitted to it and hid his love behind the mask of duty. As time and power took hold of him, Byakuran had forgotten the feelings he buried inside his heart.

"_Hime-sama,"_ Byakuran thought as his hands flared with orange flame, _"I'm close to fulfilling my promise to you."_

"Bye-bye, Leo-kun," Hime gasped in shock at the hatred she heard in Byakuran's malicious voice, laced with deeper hatred for the world than she remembered. Her heart raced in fear and she tried to reach for Byakuran as her mind began to sleep.

"No…" her voice was inaudibly soft as her neon blue eyes widened in realization. "_I don't want to be parted from Byakuran again_," she told herself, "_…I'll try to be brave again. So please, let me stay._"

Mukuro felt her body tensed up and shook with fear for a brief second. He still held her firmly against him with an arm around her back but when Hime softly landed her hand on his chest, he released her. Almost like a harmless barrier, Hime gently repelled Mukuro away as she turned to wrap her arms around Byakuran's neck.

Byakuran's concentration wavered when he felt her tight embrace and the charge Byakuran had prepared at the palms of his hands was shot in two different directions, causing lines of trees to fall in its path. He knew he missed both his targets but the realization that dawned on him then froze him with fear and concern. Slowly, Byakuran closed his eyes as he wrapped his arms protectively around her, knowing what would befall them now that they have become defenseless at the peak of a battle.

"Do you want to forgive them so much?" he asked softly and felt a slight nod from her. He caressed the top of her head and sighed in defeat, "As you wish."

"NOW!" a shout echoed and before Hime could comprehend what was happening, she felt Byakuran's protective arms tightened around her moments before multiple hands tried to grab her from Byakuran. Hime screamed for Byakuran when they were pulled apart but when she saw his surrendering posture on the ground, pinned by both the Varia members and the guardians, Hime stopped struggling.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered as she fell to her knees. Mukuro knelt beside her, holding her hands tightly in his as Hime continued to look helplessly at Byakuran. She knew her decision to stop him had led them to this moment but she began to question her decision. She didn't know what was right or what was wrong at that moment anymore. Her dilemma was short-lived as Mukuro cast another illusion on her, spinning her consciousness away from reality.

"MUKURO!" Byakuran tried to break free from his captors when he saw Hime fell into Mukuro's arms, unconscious. The baby arcobaleno in black suit stepped in front of him. Reborn held a green pistol in his hand and aimed at Byakuran, who glared at him in return.

"We won't hurt her," Reborn said to him, "But we will take all the precautions we need to." He smirked at the platinum haired young man, "It's time for your sleep, Byakuran." Reborn pulled the trigger and a loud bang resonated within the forest, followed by a deadly silence.

"Reborn," Yuni finally spoke up, "You knew it, didn't you?"

"That the world's end Shoichi saw was not Byakuran's doing?" he replied with a question. Heads turned around at the smallest member of the gang. "I didn't realize it until Hime woke up," he answered himself.

"What does that mean, Reborn?" Tsuna asked him, still in his dying will mode.

"The Primula Family was the chosen vessel to contain the full power of the world," he began, "But the risk of only them holding the power was too high. So Vongola and other families rose up against them and claimed the powers, thus forming the Trinisette but it seems that the Primula's role has evolved and is now serving as the balancer for the world."

"So, if Hime was killed," Tsuna continued for Reborn, "The world will fall out of balance and be destroyed."

"The question is how," Reborn wondered as he turned to look at the seemingly harmless girl lying unconscious in Mukuro's arms. A crunch of twigs alerted them of a presence among the trees. Tsuna and his guardians turned on instinct and prepared themselves for another assault.

Wounded and limping, Kikyou held onto a tree for support as he glared at the Vongola members. He reluctantly spoke, "Byakuran-sama owns a building in downtown Namimori. I understand that your underground headquarters were destroyed in an explosion. You may use it temporarily as Vongola headquarters."

"Wha-?" Gokudera and the rest gaped at their enemy.

"It's not my decision!" Kikyou shouted and winced at the pain spreading all around his body before he continued slowly, "It was an order from Byakuran-sama."

"Where is it?" Tsuna asked, lowering his guard but the others were still wary of their enemy.

"I will lead you there," he replied, "On the condition that Hime-sama and Byakuran-sama gets the necessary medical attention." Tsuna agreed to the condition without consulting Reborn or other members. He didn't feel the need for it. He knew Kikyou was too weak and even if he wasn't, he wouldn't attack them now that the outcome of the battle had been decided. Millefiore had been defeated and the Real Six Funeral Wreaths have too much pride than to strike cowardly at the disarmed and weak Vongola.

When Hime stirred from her dreamless sleep, she found herself looking up at a very familiar ceiling. The white sky above her had glow-in-the-dark stars glued on them but as it was still day, the stars remained green in colour. She sat up from the bed and looked around her. She grasped her blanket in recognition of the white room she was in. She felt as if she was floating on air on the dark blue bed, with white stars that appeared to be twinkling around her. There was the white sofa at its usual place a few feet from the edge of the bed, facing the flat screen panel.

"My…room?" she recalled as she looked at the windows, which was the only difference between the room and her old room before it was blown into nothingness. Where there was a wall and two huge windows, there was only glass panels, overlooking the city below. Hime got out of the bed and stepped onto the soft cloud-like carpet. Unconsciously, a tear slipped down her cheek as she raced for the door, wishing that it was unlocked like it had always been. Hime stopped dead in her tracks when the flat screen panel came to life.

"I see you're awake," Reborn's image was seen on the panel. Hime turned to it, placing a shaky hand on the sofa but still trying to put up a strong front.

"Is there anything I can do for you?" she asked in a calm voice.

"You can start by telling me about your powers," Reborn answered straight-forwardly. Hime looked troubled and avoided meeting Reborn's eyes for a few seconds. She realized that there was no escaping captivity and there was no meaning in hiding the truth anymore. With one deep breath, she collected herself and faced him.

"I'm Primula Hime," Hime began, "The last of the Primula bloodline and I hold the opposing powers of the Trinisette. Maybe we will call it the 'anti-Trinisette' for now." Reborn smirked at the change in Hime, realizing that she had finally ascended the throne of the Primula family. "But there is no need to fear me, Arcobaleno," she continued, "I don't know how to use my powers."

Reborn eyed at her suspiciously but he wanted more information and she understood his wordless command. Hime moved to the front of the sofa. She sat down in the middle of it, with her legs clasped together and her hands folded neatly on her lap. Her back was straight and her head held up high as she faced Reborn.

"The Primulas possessed the original powers of the Trinisette, that much you know, don't you?" she challenged Reborn's authority with her neon eyes, "After the revolt led by Vongola, we were deprived of our role as the foundation of the world and we became half complete. Like a curse, we became an existence that lived as the shadow of the Trinisette, absorbing and nullifying the powers that were wrongfully unleashed into our souls. For generations, we carried that burden and have fulfilled our new role in secrecy until now."

"You are lying when you said you don't know how to use your powers," Reborn said, "You were able to make barriers."

"That barrier and my sleep," Hime began, her face laced with guilt and sorrow, "Was the form of my fear." Reborn looked at her in confusion. "My father was able to control it but I was not trained and I was weak. I feared everything in this world, including myself and the power I hold in me. When my fear was at its peak, the anti-Trinisette sealed my consciousness and later, I realized that it rejected everything around me, as if it was protecting me from everything."

"Even if you want me to explain everything to you," Hime continued, "I can't." Reborn squinted his eyes suspiciously at her. "There is so much that I don't know and understand. What I do know is that my anti-Trinisette does no harm. It has somehow evolved into a defensive form of power for me."

"'For me'?" Reborn echoed.

"My father was able to use the power of ice offensively," she answered, "From what I remember, I can only unconsciously make ice barriers."

"I see," the baby in the black suit responded, trying to understand the change in the Primula's powers. He knew Hime was as clueless as she admitted and that she was telling him the truth but a small part of him was unable to trust Hime for trusting Byakuran. Nevertheless, he asked kindly, "Are you worried about Byakuran?"

"Where is he?" she asked, her eyes flashed deep worry for the said person.

"He is still unconscious in the medical ward," Reborn answered, "Irie Shouichi is looking after him. Don't worry. As soon as he is good to go, we'll have him transferred to the house you are in."

"House?" she repeated, looking at the large door she intended to run out of.

"It seems that Byakuran only had your room specially designed," he smirked, "Does it bring back any memories?"

"Yes," Hime answered with a sad faint smile, "This room looked almost exactly like my room in Italy."

"I should tell you this," Reborn mentioned, "You are not a captive. Only Byakuran is. You can walk out of this building if you want."

"I'll stay here, and wait for him to come back," she replied, "Thank you, Reborn."

Twenty stories below the pent house was the medical department. Shouichi was seen bent over a chair holding his aching stomach when he thought that the person on the bed was about to wake up. When the pain faded, he looked up at Byakuran, who had been asleep on a hospital bed for days. Reborn told him that his sleeping bullet was about to wear off but the wait was making him anxious and scared. When he was reminded of Byakuran's cunning smile, Shouichi bent over in pain again.

"Are you that afraid of me, Shou-chan?" a weak voice reached the red-head's ears.

"Byakuran-san!" Shouichi jumped and stood up straight, "Y-You're awake!"

"Where's Hime-sama?" Byakuran asked him. Upon seeing Byakuran's neutral face, Shouichi knew he was hiding his worry. He had grown too close to him to understand him.

"She's in the pent house," he answered, "She has been there the whole time, and no, we didn't keep her captive. She's…waiting for you."

"That is very much like her," the Millefiore boss smiled faintly. Shouichi saw it and he froze. He never thought he would be able to see a genuine smile on Byakuran's face in his life. Byakuran reached for the table by his side and gulped down the glass of water. "And?" Byakuran asked the frozen Shouichi, with his usual carefree smile, "What is Shou-chan here to tell me?"

Shoichi jumped a little and turned back to Byakuran, remembering his reason for being here. He cleared his throat and looked into Byakuran's violet eyes.

"Tsunayoshi-kun and Reborn has come a conclusion about Millefiore," he told him. "Millefiore is to be split and the Black Spell will regain their status as the Giglio Nero Family. As for the White Spell and Gesso Family, it is to disband and you are forbidden from engaging in any mafia-related activities." He paused before continuing, "And, Reborn wants to keep you under house arrest. He didn't say until when."

"And Hime-sama?" he asked.

"She is free," Shouichi answered.

"I see," Byakuran hide his emotions behind a fake smile and reached out for a marshmallow packet beside him. Shouichi saw him and he sighed.

"When are you going to graduate from those?" he asked.

"I never will," Byakuran chimed as he popped a white marshmallow into his mouth. Shouichi sighed again as he watched the white-haired man reached for another marshmallow.


	7. To Love This World Finale

I'm so sorry for the delay!!! I stopped everything to concentrate on my college assignments.

This will be the final chapter of this fic!!! Please enjoy =)

**Because You Are Here**

**君がいるから**

**Chapter 7**

The large main door to the pent house was unlocked by the security pad and it swung open without a sound. As soon as Byakuran stepped inside the unlit room, it was immediately closed and at the same time, the binding mechanism holding his wrists together was automatically unlocked. Byakuran grabbed the metal binding before it could fall loudly onto the tiled floor and gently placed it on the kitchen counter beside him. Turning his gaze back to the pent house, Byakuran blinked his eyes a few times to get used to the dark environment, lit only by the light of the half moon from the glass window in the ceiling.

Byakuran paid no attention to the empty living room consisting of three three-person sofas in front of a 50-inches flat screen panel and a disfigured huge bean bag. He turned away from the living room and dashed silently up the spiral stairs to the second floor. He stopped in front of Hime's room and contemplated on knocking on Hime's door but decided against it after a few seconds so to not wake her up. Silently, he pushed down the knob and pushed the door away from him. As he stepped inside, his blood ran cold when he didn't see Hime on the bed where she was supposed to be at 4AM in the morning. He turned back and ran down the hallway to his room, hoping to see her in there but he froze.

He commanded his heart to calm down as he caught a glimpse of long platinum hair on the bean bag in the living room. Byakuran let his eyes wander to the figure, confirming that it was not his hallucination of her but the real Hime, sleeping the night away on the yellow bean bag he knew she would love. As soon as Hime's chest lightly heaved up and down from breathing, he knew he wasn't hallucinating and he didn't waste a single second to get to her. He leaped from the second floor and landed a few meters away from her with a soft thud.

Byakuran took a few steps towards her and noticed that she was asleep on her arm. He followed Hime's gaze before she fell asleep and found his violet eyes on the main door. Turning back, he concluded that Hime must have been sitting on the floor with the bean bag as she waited for him. Smiling faintly to himself, Byakuran knelt in front of Hime's sleeping form and gently pushed a strand of platinum hair away from her eyes.

"_How could I have missed you when I first came in?"_ he questioned himself as he sat comfortably on the carpet behind her. Ever so lightly, he wrapped his arms around Hime and laid his head on hers, hoping that she would open her eyes. There was no hate or malice on Byakuran's face, only of relief and love, and that was one expression that no one ever saw on him. Byakuran had vowed, to not show any emotions of love for Hime, and he told himself that he will hold onto that vow for as long as he live but the strength to keep up with that vow was already weighing down on him.

"_Hime-sama, even if it was just for one second,"_ he wished he could say it out loud, _"Would you love me the same way as I love you?"_ Byakuran knew she wouldn't answer and he hoped that he wouldn't receive an answer either. He knew that he would be troubled if she had answered but even if everything was denied to him, as long as his princess is alive and well, he thought he would accept any fate that would be thrown to him.

"_You're my only princess_," Byakuran wished he could whisper it to Hime as she whimpered softly in her sleep. He laughed inwardly. He remembered how he was always forced to wake the three-year-old Hime and he would always get loud whimpers before she finally wake up groggily. It was also a nightmare to put her to sleep as she never wanted to sleep at nights. Byakuran had to catch her and throw her onto the bed, before she would start to yawn and finally doze off.

"_You don't change much,"_ Byakuran said to himself, _"You still stay up into the night until your body gave up."_

Byakuran lifted her up against him, gently laying her head on his shoulder before circling his an arm around her back and the other below her knees. He gazed longingly at her as he stood with her in his arms. He tried to stop himself but he couldn't resist planting a light kiss on the corner of her lips. It was the one chance he had and he took it, deciding to keep it a secret for his whole life. As he walked up the stairs, Hime grabbed his shirt but he pretended to not notice, uncertain if his secret was as clear as day.

When he set her onto the bed, Hime looked up at him with glistening neon blue eyes and her hand reached up to his face. As her fingers touched the side of his face, Byakuran realized for the first time that she was still as cool as he remembered. Before she could say anything, Byakuran took the hand from his face and placed it on her abdomen.

"It's late," Byakuran said softly as he gently pulled her hand away from his shirt, "Sleep." He stood and turned to walk away.

"_Why are you walking away?_" Hime stared at his retreating back, "_Why can't I stop you?_" Before any answer could come to her, Hime had jumped out of her bed and threw her arms around Byakuran just as he was about to step out of the room. Byakuran was taken aback by Hime and he turned, only to catch a glimpse of fear on her face, which she quickly hid on his back. It was the same expression that he last saw on her before Hime's deep sleep.

"_I forgot…_" Byakuran told himself, "_She is afraid of me._"

"Don't go!" Hime said and tightly clutched the front of his shirt, "Please don't go, Byakuran."

"I can't stay in your room," Byakuran replied in a realistic manner but he already knew what she meant. Hime's world was the only world he cannot return to and he dared not bring her over to his dark world. His world is not meant for her. Hime should live as the princess, basked in love and purity. Byakuran knew they were living in two different worlds and that there will be no life for them together, as friends or family, much less as lovers.

"Do I need a reason to make you stay?" she asked, "Does loving you not good enough as a reason?"

"You can't make me stay," he told her as he held the hands on him, trying to deny the love that he yearned so much for, "It's my duty to protect you." Byakuran turned back to her and said, "Every battle I've decided to fight, it was all for you. If I must, I would destroy this world if that is what it takes to keep you safe and I will not regret it."

"Why?" she asked, her hands hung by her sides, "Why would you go so far?" Hime looked into his violet eyes for answers. Byakuran looked down at Hime, who now stood up to his chest when she used to be much shorter in his memories. His arms seemed to have detached itself and they tightly encircled Hime's thin form. Byakuran could feel her awkwardness but he enjoyed the little reward which he greedily took and breathed in the scent of shampoo in her hair.

"Byakuran?" Hime called as she put her hands on his back.

"Because…," Byakuran hesitated, "I love you."

"Me too," she whispered, "I love you too." Byakuran didn't know how to take her words. He was certain that he loved her as a lover but Hime may love him as a brother but he didn't care then. "I love you, Byakuran," she repeated as her grip on his shirt tightened.

Byakuran's hold on Hime froze. He realized that he had never paid any attention to Hime's words at all since her awakening. Only now did he notice that she had been calling him by his name, and not "Byakuran-nii" as she used to. Byakuran tightened his embrace around her, strong enough to suffocate her.

"I'm sorry," he said, "If only I…" Byakuran stopped. As the only person in the planet who has experienced every possible "if", he knew that a world where he lost to the Vongola is the only world left where Hime had the chance to be awakened. He loosened his hold and looked away, wanting to say, "_If I had tried harder, maybe I didn't have to lose to the Vongolas_."

"No 'if's," Hime told him, "If it weren't for what you have done, then I probably won't be here."

"I've tried everything," he confessed as he recalled his memories of his other selves in all of the parallel worlds, "But in every other world, you were gone. No matter what I did to win, you were not with me. This world isn't the only world where the Vongolas can defeat me, I let them because I'm betting everything by losing in this war."

"I'm sorry, Byakuran," Hime found nothing else to say to him, "For everything."

"No," Byakuran said, "I'm glad you're alive, Hime-sama."

"I am alive, Byakuran," she nodded, "And from now on, 'Hime' will live for you. You're not alone anymore, okay?"

"Hime–sa" Byakuran was silenced by a light kiss on his cheek. Byakura stared at her as she smiled at him, almost infecting him when the light blush appeared on her face. "Why is it you?" he held her tight in his arms, almost squeezing the life out of Hime. She giggled softly in return.

"Byakuran," she called softly as she held his onto arms to take half a step back. She looked up at him seriously and continued, "Don't leave me, okay?" It took a while for him to comprehend what she meant but when he did, he only nodded and kissed her forehead.

"I won't, Hime," he told her, "I will never leave you." She nodded as her eyes wandered to look out of the glass panels. The darkness of the town was like an endless abyss that seemed to pull her in. Her grip on Byakuran's arms tightened as she tried to look away but before she could move, his hand covered her eyes and he whispered in her ear, "Don't be afraid. I'm here to protect you."

When he removed his hand next, Hime felt less fearful of the darkness and realized that Byakuran was her only hope in erasing her fear of the world. With Byakuran protecting her, she was certain that she will be able to love the world that they live in once again. She faintly smiled at him and nodded.

"I have faith in you, Byakuran."


End file.
